Kitsap Pumas sign Shaffer, Gardea, have Daniels on radar

BREMERTON, Wash.— The Kitsap Pumas have signed central midfielder Neil Shaffer and defender Ben Gardea to contracts for the 2013 PDL season. The club has yet to announce but is expected to also sign big target forward William Daniels.

“Neil is a massive signing for the club. Possibly one of the biggest in the club’s history,” said an excited Kitsap head coach James Ritchie. Shaffer has experience in the USL PRO.

“I am very happy to have him on board. I think the fans will be over the moon at this signing. Neil has spent the last two years as a major part of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds team. He is a central midfielder that will bring a lot of experience to the team. Neil has shown a great desire to come to the Pumas. We would also like to thank Danny Medina (2012 Kitsap player) for helping us set this deal up.”

Ben Gardea was at early Pumas tryouts via the Los Angeles Blues, also of the USL Pro.

“Ben has recently been in camp with the LA Blues,’ Ritchie explains. “He is a young center back that has a great amount of potential. He is a very hard-working young man that will challenge for a starting spot in the back line. The fact he is two years under the 23-year-old player limit of eight per PDL club (born 1991) is also a bonus as we have time to develop his ability. I am greatly looking forward to working with Ben.”

William Daniels has not yet been officially announced as signed by Kitsap. However social media suggests he will be a Puma this season. Daniels is a big target forward that Ritchie saw up close at this year’s Infosport Combine, where his finishing skills were highly rated.Daniels is said to have already secured a place to stay in West Sound over the summer.